Red Fire
by AppleL0V3R
Summary: Collections. 2. Rain - Barefoot: He'd known her so long, and she'd always seemed like a miracle. Now though, in the pouring rain she looked like an angel.
1. Between a Rock and a Hard Place

**Title:** Petty Arguments

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Bleach

**Pairing:** Abari, Renji and Kuchiki, Rukia

**Rating:** T

**Type:** One-shot – Complete

**Summary:** She found herself in this position all the time, backed up against the sometimes literal wall; but she never thought Renji would be the one to place her in such a position.

**Word Count:** 570

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then obviously it's not mine.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

"H-hold on, Renji!" Rukia shouted while trying to put distance between herself and the redhead. She _really_ didn't like that grin he was sporting right now. He didn't pause though, he just took another step forward and thus she took a scrambling step backward.

What in the world is he thinking?

He took a step forward, she took one back. Forward, backward, forward, backward, forward, backward. She really wasn't paying attention to _where_ she was going, just so long as it wasn't towards him. So that's why – forward, backward, forward, thunk, owwwww – she ran into a wall. Not good.

See, she'd been in situations like this before. Where an enemy would back her against a wall or into a corner so she could no longer run away. Which of course would leave her with two options: cower or fight. Typically she chose the latter, but when her physical condition did not permit she would call for help, praying someone got there in time. And of course someone did, otherwise she wouldn't be _here_. But this situation wasn't like the ones before, not completely anyway. Renji isn't an enemy, nor will he ever be, so she won't fight him and there's zero chance of anyone helping her. Why? Because the people who normally help _her_ helped _him_ get her into this situation. So, unless Renji backed off, not likely, or she found a way around him, even less likely, she was stuck.

_Why_ was he doing this though? It made no sense! He's never done it before. He's never trapped her between a literal wall and a hard place, him. So why?

"Damn it, Renji! Stop coming closer!" He took another step forward and she tried to disappear into the wall. She really, _really_ was not like this.

His grin widened, "You don't mean that Ru-ki-a"

Shivers raced up and down her spine, leaving a tingling feeling in its wake. He'd caused that feeling before; she just never knew what to make of it and thus pushed it aside. But she couldn't now; no part of her would let her. What game is he playing?

"Yes I do!" Three feet away.

He shook his head, "No you don't"

"Yes I do!" Two feet.

"No you don't"

Why did it feel like they were having one of their everyday trivial arguments over something petty? Because according to the butterfly feeling in her stomach that wouldn't be silenced, this wasn't that situation.

"Yes I do!" One foot left. So why didn't she stop while she was ahead?

He leaned forward. "No you don't"

"Yes I–" she never got to finish her statement.

Now that she thought about it, he still pulled the same damn trick all the time. Start an argument and then cut her off. She wouldn't change it though. She liked their trivial arguments over something petty that she could never seem to stop while she was ahead in.


	2. Rain: Barefoot

**Title:** Barefoot

**Author:** AppleL0V3R

**Beta-reader:** Terror-Of-The-Crimson-Night

**Fandom:** Bleach

**Pairing:** Abari, Renji and Kuchiki, Rukia

**Rating:** T

**Type:** One-shot – Complete

**Summary:** He'd known her so long, and she'd always seemed like a miracle. Now though, in the pouring rain she looked like an angel.

**Theme:** 40 Themes LJ challenge (#18 – Rain)

**Word Count:** 835

**Disclaimer:** If you've heard of it before, then it's obviously not mine.

**Note:** Yes, another short one-shot. I had every intention of making this one longer than Between a Rock and a Hard Place, but that just didn't happen and personally I like this one the way it is. If you don't, give me a valid reason and I'll happily consider it.

..:Xx0o0xX:..

Rukia's face was lit up with complete and utter joy. Her mouth was open and half the time her head was thrown back as she tried to catch the raindrops in her mouth, laughing all the while.

Rain was not a common thing in soul society because big bodies of water weren't either, not at least in the Seireitei. And so, to feel the rain on her skin, soaking her clothes until they clung to her and made them heavy along with her short hair, was absolute bliss. It was a feeling she'd almost forgotten, and was slightly chagrined at the fact. She loved rain and everything about it.

Especially being able to dance and play in it as it drizzled or pelted against her and created puddles on the ground for her to jump in.

It was just another reason to love the living world. She continually moved her body, arms in the air as she hopped at some points, skidded at others and tried to keep her balance all the while. Normally, she was so serious and alert, and that was increased tenfold when she wasn't in Soul Society, but right now she couldn't bring herself to be under that up tight impression. She couldn't bring herself to be reserved and adult like. Not when for one the sparingly few times in her life, she was allowed to be a child without having to worry about Hollows or clan etiquette or any of that stuff.

For right now, she could just have fun. She could just enjoy herself, and she intended to take full advantage of every moment of it.

Renji watched the small girl as she moved about; dancing to a melody only she seemed to hear. He felt the soft smile that had found its way to his face at the sight of her. He'd known her so long, and she'd always seemed like a miracle. Now though, in the pouring rain she looked like an angel. She was in a simple white kimono, with another one underneath so that she wouldn't be deemed as indecent exposure wise and she was smiling and laughing. How long had it been since he'd heard her laugh like that? So free, so joyous. He let his eyes close for a moment as he took a deep breath, basking in the sound.

When he opened his red eyes again she was suddenly in front of him, soaked to the bone but didn't look in the least brought down by the fact. He blinked, puzzled, and then she reached out and grasped his arm. "Come on, Renji, have fun." And then she was tugging him forward into the rain.

It was cold and slightly hard as it came down and he was very quickly completely wet. As much as he'd loved the sight of Rukia, wanted to always be able to see it even if that meant always dealing with rain too, he didn't like rain. And he especially didn't like cold rain, he liked heat and more specifically fire. So being dragged out into the consistent fall of water, yeah nothing less then off putting.

He sputtered and tugged back but she her grip firmed. And she sent a smile over her shoulder as she kept pulling towards the valley of puddles that'd created a bunch of mud. That was a death trap for gracelessness and sore asses. But that wasn't enough to keep him away, wasn't enough to send him skittering back for the safe dryness of wooden floors and tile roofs, not when faced with that smile of hers. The one that said 'why not' and 'get over it' and 'please'. As kids he'd never been able to resist it all that well and it had gotten so much more beautiful with time that he hadn't been able to build up an immunity to it. Nor did he think he ever would and he was also pretty sure she knew that.

So scowling half-heartedly he let himself be tugged into his least favorite weather and let himself be inticed into playing with her. Because it made her even happier, made her glow even brighter – just like an angel – and made him remember just how lucky he was to have a girlfriend like her.


End file.
